Instead of the 617, I might think of getting the .357 MAG S&W 686(P) once I have a bit of shooting experience. Seemed extra sexy when I put it in the hand.

I sent out the application for my firearms possession and acquisition license (PAL) today, it'll be at least a month before I hear from them.

Which reminds me, I went to another, more distant firearms dealer with a colleague (who was also going through the process for the PAL) and we fell upon a lightly used IWI Jericho 941, all steel, full sized (with 50 bullets shot). After trying many other firearms (they didn't have the CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW I had picked out, but they had the CZ-75B), he put the Jericho 941 in his hand, loved it, paid it in full and that was that!

However, when I tried it in my hand, the IWI Jericho 941 was very slightly too big for my hand, just like the CZ-75B felt very slightly too big. It seems like the CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW has a different, smaller grip, or the button/control placements are different; with the SHADOW, I don't have to shift my grip at all in order to reach the mag release, the slide release or the ambi-safety.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with my decision, and I'm extra eager to get the paperwork over with. I'll definitely make sure to make a (imaged text and/or video) review of the CZ-75 SP-01 SHADOW as soon as I get enough one-on-one time with it